Instagram is lousy with boasty yoga photos, captioned with platitudes of the “we only regret the chance we didn’t take” variety. There are “The 5 most gorgeous yoga instagram accounts you need to follow” declares Self Magazine. For who wouldn’t spiritually benefit from wisdom such as: “Just like the lotus, we too have the ability to rise from the mud, bloom out of the darkness etc” beneath the image of a slender blonde performing a lotus headstand (hair precision-styled into a fetching swirl: #yogainsipiration). Inspiring us for what, though? Self-loathing and another doughnut?…

Dr Richard Graham, adolescent and technology addiction psychiatrist at Nightingale hospital, believe the motives behind posting are complex. He says “When social media started, the concept of sharing was a great opportunity to be with your friends by sharing experiences online. Bit by bit, that has shifted, particularly on Instagram, from sharing to promoting. In terms of motives, even sharing you holiday pictures, it doesn’t seem to be a ‘Wish you were here moment’ – more an ‘I am and you’re not’ moment…